Soulmate's Cup
by MarvelGirlLucy
Summary: Everyone has a soulmate out there. Everyone gets a sentence - the first thing that their soulmate tells them. Some people get lucky but some don't and well, she is one of those. Lara doubted her sentence could be worse but will she change her mind when she finally meets her soulmate? AU, OC/Leo Fitz, set before AoS
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** I don't own Fitz, Marvel does. Big thanks to my amazing beta Anna J. Perley!

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Lara sat on the porch of her family house, her legs dangling idly on the armrest of the wooden chair. She looked up to the sky, only to see dark clouds shielding the sunlight from her sight. It was normal considering it was already October but she just couldn't shake the bad feeling.

Colorful leaves on the ground rustled with the wind which was slowly gaining strength. She should have probably headed inside before the rain started pouring but she couldn't. It was so calm, yet so terrifying.

The eery silence of the nature caused goosebumps to appear on her arms. Lara finally stood up and made her way inside, still unable to shake the thought of the storm being a bad sign.

Lara O'Malie lived in a world where you didn't just date guys, marry one, find out he had cheated on you numerous times, and then get divorced. _No_ . This was _different_.

It wasn't forbidden to date. Anyone could, but who would want to date some random lad when they knew there was someone else for them? The one, their second half, their destined one or as everyone knew them - _soulmate_.

When the age of eighteen was reached, every person, no matter the gender, was supposed to immediately visit so called _Soulmate Office_ , though it resembled a hospital more than anything. It was necessary, for the soulmark appearing was a painful process. The mark could appear anywhere on person's body, there was no way to tell where until it begun engraving itself into the skin.

Lara always pondered where her mark would be. She wanted it to be seen so her soulmate would have it easier to tell that it was indeed her. She couldn't imagine the mortification if the mark would be, let's say, on her inner thigh and he would want to see it to make sure. She would be beet red. But it was pretty tricky. She knew one girl from school that was just three years older, who had her mark on the cheek. The place itself wasn't that bad but she had a swear word in it.

Lara was lying on her bed, hugging her pillows and wondering what her sentence would be. Some people were incredibly lucky to receive sentences such as _'I'm Reed Payne, nice to meet you!_ ' and she prayed hers would be similar. And what about her soulmate? What would she say when she meets him? She hoped nothing weird or awkward, the poor guy would have to live with it written on his skin. She shuddered and promised herself to be careful around strangers once she had her mark.

Her mother had arranged a meeting with a doctor at the _Soulmate Office_ for tomorrow. Lara would have to endure her birthday party before that and was really not looking forward to it. She'd be anxious all day, knowing what was awaiting her at the brink of midnight - the exact time she was born.

Her mother let her sleep in since she would have to stay awake for the whole day, not being able to take a nap with guests partying in their house.

She'd never been a party animal and she would be content with a small celebration with family and close friends, but her parents insisted on throwing a big party, inviting distant cousins and neighbors alike. You only turn eighteen once, and the whole soulmate thing was important for her parents since they found each other thanks to the marks before falling in love shortly after.

She was trying to find some fitting outfit for tonight's party. She didn't want to wear anything too revealing, but she wanted to look nice enough. She rummaged through her drawer, finding nothing that would fit her expectations.

The short pink dress was too short even if the salmon color was a great match with her long blond hair. Another dress she found, a sweet purple one, had an open back which was not really suited for the October weather, no matter the fact that the party was going to be inside.

After some time, she decided to ditch the idea of wearing any kind of skirt altogether and found a white blouse with high-waisted jeans instead. A skirt was not a good idea anyway; she didn't want the wrong kind of attention from all the drunk neighbors without soulmates.

Her outfit was appropriate; not too fancy but not too casual either. She picked black sandals with a smaller heel to complete the look and then moved onto the make-up. She's never been a big fan of it but she had to admit that it made her look better when properly applied. After putting on her white, pearl earrings she was ready to go.

Before the first guests arrived, Lara helped her parents a little by placing napkins and bowls of snacks her mother had ordered, occasionally rearranging things so it would all fit together on the table.

The beginning of the party went smoothly and she got some time to catch up with relatives she hadn't seen in quite a long time. Her aunt Julia, whom she had always particularly liked, maybe or maybe not for the ice cream she used to secretly give her when they visited, was only about nine years older than her and hadn't met her soulmate yet.

Nevertheless, she was happy and the optimism basically shone from her. Julia never let it get her down and it inspired Lara greatly when she was younger, but now she could barely hide the anxiety.

Would she be able to stand as strong as her aunt did after years of not meeting the one? And what if she couldn't?

Another two hours went by when she noticed more and more people carrying glasses filled with various types of alcohol. She was now sitting in her favorite chair outside. There was no one offering her drinks with common lines like _'It's your birthday! You have to! At least for me!' ._

She tried to politely refuse all the drinks but it was getting harder with every passing minute, so she retreated to the considerably quieter outside. It wasn't cold yet, and she was comfortable enough, though the problem now was not the noise of the others but her own thoughts.

She was once again consumed by the endless pool of possible first words her one might say that would end up on her arm, and how the meeting with her soulmate would go if she'd ever meet him, or her. She was pretty sure of her sexuality, but what if she met a special girl and she wasn't so sure anymore?

And what if her soul mate turned out to be a criminal?

After the natural light started to fade and the air got chilly, Lara slipped back inside, trying to get to her room unnoticed, spending the rest of the day locked within it.

She could really use a shot of some strong liquor to ease her nerves, but it was advised to not drink before getting the soulmark as it would supposedly add to the pain.

The party would end in two hours, and then she would have one more before she had to visit the Soulmate Office. She was utterly glad for having her own bathroom connected to her room right now. She smelled of alcohol and she didn't like that at all.

Lara made sure all doors and windows were locked in case some unwanted visitor stumbled upon her room before hopping in the shower. The hot water did miracles for her tensed muscles and the soft scent of her lavender soap calmed her a little.

She had to blow dry her hair since the hair wouldn't dry properly in just an hour and half. When it came to her new outfit, she decided to go casual; she would have to wear a special hospital gown anyway.

Lara let her now-dry hair flow loosely onto her back in its natural straight state and dressed in a blue shirt with jeans.

She picked up the unfinished book from her night-stand and tried to focus on it before her nervousness spread even more. The book couldn't hold her attention for very long and she soon closed it, the dread of getting a soulmark, which would change her whole life one day, never ceasing.

Lara noticed the light rain that started while she was reading. She guessed it'd be like this from now on until December came around with snow. As she was listening to the soft pounding of raindrops on her window, she drifted off to a restless sleep.

Eventually, a loud banging on her door awakened her. She looked around confused, figuring out that she fell asleep and took an involuntarily nap. It was her mother, trying to get an answer from her since her door had remained locked.

"Honey, are you alright?" Lara realized her mother might be worried since she wasn't answering, so she quickly shouted something back just to reassure her of her presence in the room and unlocked the door.

She then told Lara that they were about to leave in 15 minutes. It wasn't much, and she'd have to hurry, but it was enough.

Lara changed into a new shirt, combed her hair, and didn't bother with any make-up. She rushed into the kitchen, seeing it empty. All the guests were long gone. She ignored the mess and promptly made herself a ham sandwich, though she would have to eat it in car.

Her mum knew how nervous she could get so she didn't push her. She let her eat silently the whole way to The Soulmate Office. She chewed on it, unable to finish it whole. The bread was too dry and she had troubles swallowing it.

Her stomach was uneasy as well, so she left the rest of the sandwich in her bag and focused on pushing away the worst case scenarios.

 _What if her soulmate lived on the other side of the world?_

She was grateful her mother didn't talk to her right now. Lara was sure her voice wouldn't be steady at all.

They had to wait in the waiting room after she got pills from the nurse, it'd take some time until they start working. While her mind along with body began to feel numb, another thought crossed her mind upon glancing at the other people in the waiting room.

 _'Are they gonna meet their soulmates sooner than me?'_ she wondered.

One girl grinned excessively, basically screaming at her mother with incoherency, and the boy opposite of her seemed as nervous as Lara. It gave her a little bit of a selfish pleasure. Of course she wouldn't be the only person freaking out over this. It was kind of a big deal for almost everyone.

She was a huge nervous wreck when the time came for her to enter the doctor's office. It was an elderly lady with a big, reassuring smile. She properly explained the whole process of the soulmark appearing on the human body.

Lara changed to the hospital gown that was prepared for her. It was light and barely covered her thighs. It had to look that way so the doctor would be able to reach the place on the body were mark started to engrave itself. It was painful and the doctor would immediately inject the area with something to relieve the pain. Lara quickly forgot the name of the medicine.

She sat there, trying hard to suppress the dread and fear of the pain that she knew would come. Her mother squeezed her hand gently while the doctor prepared the injection. All they could do now was wait.

Lara found a clock on the other side of the room and focused all her attention there. The silence in the room only deepened as her mind suddenly became aware of the ticking clock. You'd never hear it if you didn't pay attention.

Not even two minutes remained. The second hand moved from one black stripe to another until the whole minute passed. Lara then averted her eyes, not wanting to know when it'd start. She wasn't sure what would be worse: staying in oblivion and having the pain suddenly erupt or knowing when exactly it'd happen? Would knowing ease the pain?

She didn't count the seconds even if she really wanted to. Her eyes were closed and she barely noticed the crushing force with which she held her mother's hand.

Her whole body felt numb and wobbly thank to the pills she'd taken. A rush of heat went through her, but she blamed it on the pills and didn't mention it to the doctor. She only decided to speak up when the hotness faded, though not completely.

It remained in one place. Just slightly above her right collarbone, stretching a few more centimeters back and reaching the nape of her neck, ultimately creating a round line in the shape of a necklace.

All she felt was a burning sensation, nothing extremely painful as a soulmark process was often described.

The doctor didn't waste time and injected the stuff in her neck - the area where it burned. She probably knew better than Lara and realized what was happening and was about to follow even if the girl stated that more medicine wouldn't be necessary. The response from the doctor was a knowing smile and a needle to the neck.

In a matter of seconds, Lara doubled in pain. She heard her mother's worried voice fading in background as the ringing in her ears worsened.

She wanted to scratch her neck, to make the burning go away but it only increased until she felt like she was literally on fire. The pills and injection combined did little to no good.

After few minutes, the pain finally subsided and she was ready to hear the sentence. Her mother approached her with a big smile that Lara happily returned. She put Lara's sweat-soaked hair away from her neck and read the sentence before she would repeat it aloud. But she didn't do so and instead her smile dropped and her skin went ashen from the shock.

"It... it will be alright honey." She stuttered, clearly bewildered but still trying to make her daughter feel better about what would come.

Lara's eyes watered upon seeing her mother's reaction. Could it really be that bad? Did it forecast something dangerous, _lethal_ even?

"Mum, please, just say it." She closed her eyes as if waiting for an execution. This was much worse than how she imagined this evening going.

In that instant, she recalled the dark clouds from yesterday, the omen of this upsetting moment. For the second time that day, Lara was expecting something vile. The sweet oblivion of unawareness would fade soon and she'd be caught in the depressing reality once more.

 _"Welcome to Starbucks, can I take your order?"_ Her mother said slowly, and so quietly that Lara could barely make out the words coming from her mouth. She wasn't sure if she heard right and it took her a moment to comprehend what was said.

Her mind went blank after she realized what her soulmark said and what it meant. She couldn't focus on anything. If the doctor or her mother were talking to her, she couldn't hear them. There was nothing but misery left.

She'd never have what her parents did, or half the planet for that matter. How was she ever supposed to find him if there were hundreds of Starbucks in her city alone? She could visit every single one of them, but what if her soulmate wouldn't be working at that particular day, or what if he would have a day off?

And what if he was just someone working there for only a short amount of time? What a stupid sentence. Why did she have to be the one to get it? Why couldn't it state at least his name or something useful?

"Lara, look at me. _Lara_!" Her mum was shouting at her, desperately trying to get her attention.

"Baby girl, you're thinking too much. Just calm down. Everything is going to be alright. I promise honey." She reassured her, but her attempts failed.

Lara ignored her words and fell back to the hospital bed. She hadn't even noticed when she stood up. It didn't matter. She was going to die alone, no children or grandchildren. Just her. All alone in this world.

She felt like crying, and that's exactly what she did. She stormed out of there with tears streaming down her face. She didn't care about all those strange looks people were giving her and crossed the road in hurry, not caring about cars.

Her mother found her sitting on the ground, leaning on their car and eerily quiet. There were traces of tears on her face that she hadn't bothered wiping and her mother had to pull her from the ground or else she wouldn't have moved. Once back home, Lara went straight to bed.

When her mother woke up the next day, the first thing she did was check on her daughter, only to find her gone, with her bed still unmade and sheets wrinkly. She slightly panicked at first, but as the events of the last night dawned on her, she was sure that her daughter simply needed to clear her head and luckily, she knew of someone who returned just yesterday from a week long family trip and could always cheer her daughter up.

Lara's best friend found her outside of the Starbucks closest to where Lara lived. She was glancing at every barista working there and looking ready to cry again. So Alexa hugged her. Her embrace was comforting and she poured all of her emotions into it.

She wanted Lara to know that she was close and that she'd be there for her no matter what; that Lara wasn't alone. She was sorry she couldn't be there with her best friend yesterday but it simply wasn't manageable and Lara kind of forgot to text her after it was over.

She wasn't mad, though a little confused as to why she wouldn't immediately bring the good news. As soon as Mrs. O'Malie called her and explained everything with worry in her voice, she knew she was needed and completely understood.

She knew Lara would be at the closest cafe, which was also a Starbucks branch. They've been there together many times.

Lara cried on her shoulder even though she wished she could stop. She had shed enough tears already. But whenever she calmed down, it took one glance back at the cafe and she was whimpering all over again.

For the next few weeks, the girls rode around the city and visited every Starbucks in the way. With every visit, Lara became sadder, frustrated, desperate. _Desperate to hear her soulmate say those_ _words._

She heard it so often but felt nothing. Everyone said that you would know if it was the right person. That you'd _feel_ it. But she never did.

She stopped looking for him after few months. It was just making her feel more miserable. It was torture. Every time she stepped, no, glanced at Starbucks, hope rose inside of her, and then slowly begun to sink as the realization that he wasn't there disappointed her. _Again._

She was on her way to Alexa's place when she called her and asked her to get her some hot chocolate. She was just two blocks away from Starbucks and the long walk would only do her good, so she agreed to buy it for her even though she knew what it led to.

She was just few steps from the entrance when it crossed her mind: _'What if?'_

No. She refused to do this to herself. She would have high expectations and then they would be crushed, just like they had been every single time. This time wouldn't be any different.

With one last sigh, she opened the door. She didn't look up and kept her head down. Lara hated to look into a stranger's eyes because she would always wonder what would happen if this stranger was him.

Several times she glanced at the barista, her mouth going dry from how handsome some of them were, but admitting physical attraction wasn't the same as finding soulmate. She was sure of that.

Lara stopped behind the woman that stood at the counter, her eyes missing the barista and going straight up to the menu over his head. Only thing she noticed was that it was indeed a man. His sandy brown hair was right at the bottom of her sight.

Lara was tense, with a weird sensation in her belly. She couldn't place it. It felt like this funny tingling and she simply brushed it off to the stress and trepidation of visiting Starbucks. She'd never felt this way before, although she wasn't in Starbucks for some time. Maybe she just forgot what it felt like to get disappointed again.

She shook her head gently. She was being ridiculous. Lara focused back on the menu and decided to order plain hot chocolate. Alexa wasn't very specific about what she wanted but Lara knew her friend would drink anything that contained even an ounce of sugar in it.

As the woman in front of her moved to wait for her order to be done, Lara finally approached the counter and before she even looked up at the guy, he spoke up.

"Welcome to Starbucks, can I take your order?"

He said those words to her as if it were nothing but a rehearsed line he had to say dozen times during a day. He was bored of the tedious task he had to do repeatedly, not entertained at all.

Those words might be empty to him, but to her it meant everything, because she finally felt what it was to be truly alive.


	2. Chapter 2

Lara couldn't think straight. Her mind was filled with him, his appearance, his voice, simply him. She stared at him. His hair was brown like a sand but on a brink of night when it got darker. His eyes, oh those eyes. Grey like the stormy clouds that littered the late evening sky on the day she received her soulmark. The sentence she had heard many times and only now she finally felt what it truly meant.

She could stare into his eyes for ages and she was sure that if she got close enough, as close as kiss would require, his eyes would be just as blue as they were grey. The colors mixed, making them even more beautiful.

Lara realized that he was still bored and growing annoyed. She was acting weird for he, or no one else for that matter, could know what was going on inside of her. He wouldn't know until she spoke up.

There was a queue forming, a teenage girl was tapping her foot in an annoyed manner right behind her. Even her soulmate was looking at her, ready to ask her again or suggest her some kind of coffee so she'd quit stalling others.

Her mind was overwhelmed as well which only added to her anxiety. She felt so alive, spectacular and yet the situation was getting too tense. She wanted to say something smart or funny. Something remarkable that would make her stand out so he would remember her and actually like her. Did he already think her attractive, at least a little bit or not until their words were spoken by both of them? What did he think of her at this particular moment?

The girl behind her muttered something to her friends, most likely at her expanse and they all laughed. Lara couldn't hear her because of the buzz in her mind and therefore ignored them but the barista - her soulmate, looked behind her and frowned, he heard the girl and found it entirely rude and disrespectful. As he frowned at them, all Lara could think of was how much she wanted to erase that frown from his face and make him smile.

The overall pressure was too much, she panicked.

"Chocolate," she said quickly and immediately turned red. The girls behind her roared with laughter and the barista was left with wide eyes which only added to their amusement. They had no idea what just went down between the two in front of them.

Lara dropped a five dollar bill at the counter and hurried to the other side to wait for her order to be realized. She was mortified, this was exactly what she feared - making a fool out of herself. She didn't dare turn around to see his reaction. If she did, she would see him just as overwhelmed as she felt seconds ago, but to add to his misery, he could take a break or call to her even if he really wanted.

He had to work and the group of five super rude teenagers was not making it any easier or quicker. They all had ton of orders to make, each one of them having at least two adjustments to their drinks, one girl was paying by her credit card and he smartly used the opportunity. While she was typing her code, he jumped over to his colleague who was making the coffee and snatched the cup with chocolate. He quickly scribbled something on it and returned to dealing with the unpleasant customers.

Lara took the cup as she heard the name of the beverage being called. She was still slightly out of it and before she knew it, the exit door was before her face and as she took the handle, she glanced back at the barista. He wasn't looking at her and instead was serving customers, the right corner of his mouth curled upwards in a soft smile. It was adorable but Lara realized one thing. He didn't look at her and he seemed to be doing just fine. She exited the cafe before anyone saw the tears that began streaming down her face.

Few minutes later, Lara found herself at the door to Alexa's home. She knocked politely, she didn't usually bother with such formalities but this time Lara wasn't sure if her parents were home as well.

Alexa was waiting for her so she opened the door in a matter of seconds, only to discover Lara standing there all sullen with solemn expression and wet traces under her eyes and along her cheeks. The cup of hot chocolate resting in her hand.

Alexa glanced at it and after noticing the Starbucks logo, took it from Lara's hands and hugged the poor girl. She had no idea that her best friend had just met her soulmate. The news was unreadable on her face even for someone like Alexa - an old friend. Without Lara's explanation, as far as Alexa knew, she went inside the Starbucks, heard her sentence and felt nothing which together with weeks of fruitless searching resulted into a breakdown.

Alexa led her inside the house and into her room where she made Lara sit down at one of her bean bags and did the same, still holding the cup but not looking at it.

"I am so stupid! I didn't even look at his name tag! And what if..." Lara she was berating herself angrily, though her voice remained quiet and shaky. She could go on and on for ages, just listing all the stupid things she had done but was interrupted by Alexa's loud laugh that strongly contradicted her quiet crying.

"What? It's not funny at all!" Now she was mad at Alexa as well. She had no right to make fun of her like this after everything that Lara went through. She was acting like she heard the best joke ever and it confused Lara utterly. Alexa would never laugh at her and over something so important. Not when she knew how long she was waiting for her soulmate.

"It is hilarious!" Alexa continued laughing.

"No! Stop it!"

"Sorry. Lar, you can be so... just look." Alexa couldn't keep doing it anymore so without further ado, she showed the still full cup into her hands.

Lara didn't understand at first but as she turned the cup, her eyes widened in surprise. There it was. His name and number written in hurry. 'Fitz'

Once again, she could start analyzing everything. His handwriting was just as she expected it to be and it suited him. She had no time to wonder when she even had time to think about his handwriting before and moved to his name. It could be his last name or a nickname. Maybe for Fitzgerald? No, that didn't feel right when she repeated it in her head, it had to be his last name. Which meant that after wedding, she would be Lara Fitz. It carried a nice ring to it. She giggled to herself. Alexa gave her an amused look to which Lara just shrugged and continued her daydreaming until Alexa demanded to know what Lara was going to do next.

She contemplated calling him but she was too shy and not in a proper state. She couldn't bring herself to do it so Alexa decided for her. She dialed his number while Lara was distracted and pushed the phone to her ear. Lara didn't have time to do think of anything to say because he immediately answered, as if he was waiting for the call.

"Hello? This is Leo Fitz," he announced in a Scottish accent. His accent made her swoon but also made her think back to their encounter, she was sure he had an American one back there. It wasn't important so she didn't dwell on it and rather mentally noted that his name was Leo and Fitz, as she previously thought, was indeed a last name.

"Who's there?" he inquired. Guess she was thinking about his voice for too long.

"Um... sorry. This is Lara. We met in a Starbucks earlier today." She had no idea what to say, how to act in this kind of situation. It was a second time that day she was talking to her soulmate and she couldn't mess it up. Not again. Lara secretly hoped he would take the initiative.

"Oh yeah. I was wondering when you would call," he said with an awkward laugh. She could literally feel his cheeks turning crimson, but to be fair, hers were just as red.

"Well, I'm calling now." She face palmed herself upon saying such a ridiculous thing. It looked like Lara was nowhere near close to sounding like an actual smart human being and Alexa was proving it by rolling on the floor, unable to stop her laughing fit.

"Right. So... uhh... would you like to go out sometime?" He blurted out quickly, her smile grew wider. They were soulmates, after all, how could they both be so nervous. It didn't make sense but here they were, stuttering over their words, not even facing each other properly.

"Of course." She heard him blow out a huge sigh like he was holding his breath.

They arranged to meet in front of the same Starbucks tomorrow. He kept the place of their date a surprise, which resulted in Lara even more nervous but beaming inside. That was an understatement. She was barely comprehending this whole day. Meeting her soulmate after all that time, making a fool out of herself and when she thought she had completely screwed up, he saved her. He saved them by being the smart guy she had the feeling he was.

If Lara thought that picking out an outfit to her birthday party was hard, this was impossible. She had never been very picky or fancy when it came to her appearance but she had a man to impress this time and she wanted to look on point. A dress with flowery pattern and white color seemed like the perfect choice. It was cute and with her favorite converse and a jacket, she would look nice and casual, like she wasn't trying all that much even if the contrary was the truth - she spent hours on deciding what to wear.

She had the whole outfit planned out in her mind when she recalled one unfortunate thing. That perfect dress she wanted to wear? She had to throw them away few months ago when her neighbors' baby decided to have some fun with scissors and the short fence was no limitation of the child's journey after the beautiful flowers.

"No, no, no," Lara muttered to herself, each word getting louder and more desperate. Of course this would happen. She allowed herself to think that it would all be like a walk among the roses, all rainbows and sunshine.

Lara let the magazine she was reading drop to the ground of the porch, where she was enjoying the free time, trying to calm down, and hurried to her room. She threw the closet door open and stared at the closet's contents in panic. She had literally nothing to wear. She laughed at herself and sank down on the soft carpet. She was on a verge of having a stroke for a stupid date. But that was the thing - it was not stupid at all. She needed it to be perfect, every detail mattered. In twenty or thirty years, she wanted to remember every detail, like the flowery dress she was supposed to wear.

Alexa had to come over and help her get out of her little trance. She had to pull herself together and with her friend by her side, she was up on her legs in minutes, no longer a heap of misery. Alexa would not allow her to weep like a child and ruin her chance of perfect date just for the fact that she didn't have her perfect dream dress. She was having none of that crap and like some military officer, Alexa commanded her to stop whining and start acting like a proper adult.

As she was approaching the cafe, Lara saw him already there, waiting. He was pacing in front of the building which made her instantly check her watch in case she was late. She wasn't, there were still few minutes left before their arranged time. Lara straightened her red blouse and resumed walking closer to him.

As she walked, her stomach turned and the blood rushed to her cheeks, it was all so real. Her soulmate waiting for her just few steps ahead. He noticed her coming, she noted as she tried to push the silly grin out of her face and failed completely.

"You look stunning," he said with a stunned face as if it was the first time he was actually seeing her. They both blushed at the exchange. She hadn't even said hello and he was already flattering her. He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat.

"What do you say about a trip to Zoo?" Lara stared at him for a second, unsure if he was joking or not. Upon looking at his hopeful face more closely, she decided he wasn't. It was adorable, Lara thought as she smiled. To be honest, she found it strange to go to such a place for a date, especially a first one, but cute nonetheless. At least he was being himself. And why not? She always adored animals, mostly pandas.

"Sounds lovely," she answered honestly and linked her arm with his gingerly. He didn't pull away.

"Heh, really? I love monkeys so I thought... "He laughed a bit unsure, as if not expecting her answer. The poor thing must have though she was gonna reject his idea. It seemed childish but not to her.

She gave him a reassuring smile. He linked their hands gingerly. She didn't pull away and he led her to a subway station.

He really liked monkeys, Lara learned that day. He was literally obsessed with them. He even bought her a monkey toy, it was adorable. They had a lot of fun and she even got to see some pandas. They grabbed pizza afterwards, managing to order the same kind. They really were a perfect fit. While they ate their food, they talked about many things. She got to know him better, he was an engineer, or at least studying to become one. She listened closely when he talked about his relationship with his father, there was a lot of disdain there, but she was there for him. From his talks, she couldn't wait to meet his best friend, one Jemma Simmons and her soulmate, someone named Trip. She wondered if that was a nickname. She found out so much about him and she couldn't wait to hear about more of the things he enjoyed.

He walked her back to her home, which was really nice of him. He was a true gentleman. It was already dark when they passed the corner to her street. The night air was a little chilly and she unintentionally moved closer to him. Their hands brushed, sparks erupting at the place where they touched. Lara felt lively and courageous. She didn't want to waste the opportunity. It would last only a brief moment until she turned back to her usual shy herself so she tangled her fingers with his. He looked a bit puzzled but quickly adjusted with a grin plastered on his face.

They stood in front of her house now, just staring into each other's eyes. Their faces shone with love and joy. His eyes glanced to her lips few times and it didn't take long for them to lean closer. She closed her eyes in anticipation. He took it as a right sign and connected their lips. She giggled into his mouth, it was so sweet and worth it. It was worth all the miserable and depressing time she spent waiting for him. She would wait a dozen more years just to experience this. That true love only soulmates could feel.

 **THE END**

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 **AN:** Thank you all for reading, feel free to let me know how you liked the story ;)


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